Connecter for ventilating racks or trays



Jan. 6, 1931. E. A, DowNEY 1,787,515

\ CONNECTER FOR VENTILATING RCKS OR TRAYS Filed March 50, 1927 wdff Wiley.' INVENToR.

A TTORNE Y.

`within the car.r f y Y Patented Jan. 6, 1931 kUNITED STATES PATENT. clerics EDWARD A. lDoWNnir, yory DEL RAY, VIRGINIA, ASsIGNoR, BY DIRECT AND MSNE ASSIGNMENTS, To vJOHN A. MASSIE AS TRUSTEE, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT orv n,

- COLUMBIA 'Appiication mea Mareho, 1927. Serial Nair/ame.

The hinge device to be disclosed in the present applicationlis related to and consti:-V

tutes an improvement upon the hinge device described and claimed in my Patent `No. 1,588,948, granted J une 15, 1926, and has in common 'with that rinvention as some of `its and which will constitute a general advance ,in the art;

`Amongthe-objects more particularly appurtenant tothe present invention alone may bementioned: the provision of a hinged connecting device having the above mentioned desirable characteristics', which has its pivoted ends disposed beneath the 'slats of the racks upon which it is used'so. that such joints'will not be exposed to dirt, dust orfcorroding or guininingsubstances which would interfere vwiththeir action; and the provision of such a hinged connecter which willi stand clear of the ends of the sections when the same are folded up so asto lesseniits liability to be damaged by trucks and other objects moving Other objects will appear as the description of .one form' of improved-coiinectiiigdevice proceeds. vWhile-the one preferred embodiment of the invention iisbeing illustrated and described in detail. it is to be understood, however,` that various changes vand -modifications are contemplated andinay be made in thedevicewithin' the scope of what claimed, Without departing` fron'i the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. 1 In the drawingsV forming a part of this application: f

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of one section of a. Ventilating rack employing the present improved hinge device; Figure 2 is a ylongitudinal sectional view through a portion of the rack showing the application of the connecting` device, the section being taken on the line 2-2'of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a section generally similar to Fig'. 2, but showing in full lines the hinged sections of the panel foldedback to back and indotted lines showing one of the panels folded face to face with the other panel; and

Figure .iis a detail perspective View of the connecting` device.

` Referring particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates one section ofiliaiiels, there being four sections likethe one shown at- `hinges 13 in such manner that thepaiiels may be niovedto-a 'vertical position along' the sides of the car. Y 1 i To thei outer end of each of the panels 11 and 12 are hinged panels 14 and 15 respectively. `The panels 14 and 15 consist of longitudinal battens or Stringers 16 and cross slats 17 secured tothe top edges rof the battens. The panels 11 and 12 likewise consist of battens 16v and cross slats 17, but the battens of the panels 11 and 12 arevstaggered kwith relation to the battens of the panels 14 and respectively.' l Y It is desirable. a'ttimes, in order to clean the main floor of the car and for other purposesyto fold the end panels 14 and 15 back upon the intermediate panels 11 and 12 in ,face to face relation, tlietopsofthe slats being :regarded theface of the panels',l and attimes for Similar reasons it is desirable to fold the, panels back to back. VTo pei-init-V the panels to be extended in the same planeupon 1 the'ioor. folded face to face, or lfolded'baclr to back when necessary,l the improved conice .K lo

device 18 comprises pivot members 20 and 21 adapted to be attached by their strap portions 20l and 21a to the under surface of the end slat of the adjacent hinged panels by bolts or rivets Y4L Apassing through the slat and the strap. The bolts or`A rivets 24 are countcrsunk below the face of the slat inr order ,tov avoid injury to uncrated produce i andthe like placed thereupon.v The' pivot or hingeomembers 20 and 21 yare preferably made of flat stock. Oneof the hinge members 20 is turned at its end. adjacent theend of the panel to form an eyeY 20, while the other hinge member 21 is turned at itsV end adjacent the end of the other panel to provide the slotted opening or loop 211. When theV panels are Yin alignment as shown'in Fig. 2,

i both the eye and the loop extend from the same side of the straps, that is, they extend away fromthe slatsv 17. A connecting member or link 2'? which in its specific form is made vas a closed reotangularloop or ring has pivot portions 27a which operate within the'eye 25 and the loop-26 respectively. The connecting member has an intermediate portion 271 which is odset to one side of theV end portions and as shown in Figs. 2 and t is suspended so as `to hang below its ypivoted end portions; `rlhewidth of the opening ofthe rectangular` connectingmember is substantially the same as the width of the walls of the pivot members 2() and 21 adj acentfthe eye and loop respectively, so that lateral move-V ment of one avoided. Y

The straps 20- and 21la of the pivot mem'- bers 2O and 21 respectively are preferably secured to the undercoplanar surfaces of the vslats'l so thatthe entire connecting de-v vice is located between lthe upperandlower surfacesof the panels. Withthis disposition panel with respect to the other is of the device, no part of the same projects above vthe panel to injuregoodsstored therevon.v It will'also be seen byA referenceto Fig. f 3that the connected panels may be folded in either positionV asvheretoforei described, `either face to face or back toV back and whenV folded, no part of the connecting device likely to be damaged by a blow vextends beyond the folded ends the panels. The oints' or pivs ot portions in all positions are disposedwell beneath the end slats 17 where they will neither be damaged by blows *nor be corroded or gummed by falling.substances.V

Having thus Adescribed the invention','what is Vclaimed as newhand'd'esired to be 'secured 'by'Letters Patentis: f

Y 1.L A, hinge deviceifor connecting the adjacent ends of two frames .or panelsvv in such mannerfthat the panelsmay be disposed 'in vthe sameplane. folded face to face, or folded back toback, comprising api-vot member securedto one ofthe panels provided with a Y slot' disposed` adjacent but short of the end i ofgthe panel, a. second pivot member secured to the other of the panels provided with an eye disposed adjacent but short of the end of the panel, and a connecting member having one end portion slidably and pivotally connected to the first pivot member, its other end` portion pivotally connected to the second pivot member and its intermediate portion offset Vwith respect to its pivoted end portions toembrace the overhanging'ends ofthe pancls when the same are folded faceto face.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 but in vwhich the longer axis of the slot in the first in which thelonger axis of the slotin the firstpivot member is arranged transversely of thek surface of the'panelV with which it is associated, and in which the connecting member is formed. as a complete linkor loop of substantially rectangular shapev having a width of opening just sufficient to embrace the walls of said pivot membersl about the endsof said slot' andeye respectively, whereby side play of thev panels is resisted.

5. The combinationA with two panels arranged end to end and having substantially co-planarfsurfaces intermediate their upper and lower faces ofY a hinge device for connecting said panels in such manner that they 'ma y be disposed in the same plane folded face to face o-r folded back to back, said device in'- cluding-a pivot member having a slot disposed snbstantially transversely to said co planar surfaces adjacent to but short ofthe end of one of said panels and havingva strap portion extending along and secured against one of "said surfaces, a. second pivot member having an .eye disposedadjacent but sho-rt of the endof the other panel anda portion ex- A tending alongA andV secured against the other of said surfaces, and a connecting member extending through both the loop and eye of said pivotv members respectively and positivelyconnecting thel same, no portion of the loop, eye or connecting member extending beyond the faces of the panels when arranged end to end and no portion of the pivoted joints'between: the pivot members and the connecting device extending beyond the ends of the panels in either Vthee'xtended or folded positions. Y I

6. A hinge device for connecting the adjacent ends of two frames or panels in such manner that the panels may be disposed in the same plane, foldedface to face, or folded lUU vil() back to back, comprising a connecting member having pivoting end portions and an intermediate portion offset to one side of the end portions, means disposed adjacent but short of the end of one of said panels for pivotally and slidably securing one end portion of said con meeting member to said panel, and means disposedadj acent but short of the end of the other of said panels for pivotally securing the other end portion of said conneoting'member to said other panel.

7 A hinge comprising in combination, a pair of'pivot members, one of which is provided with an eye and the other of which is provided With an elongated slot, the slot and eye `projecting in the same direction When the hinge is open, and va connecting member, one end of which is pivoted in said eye and the other end of which is pivoted and slidable in said loop.

8. A hinge as set forth in claim 7 but in which said connecting member assumes a po-` sition substantially normal to the length of said slotwhen the hinge is Open.

9. A. hinge as set forth in claim 7 but in which said connecting member includes an intermediate portion Which assumes a position substantially normal to the length of said slot When the hinge' is open, and pivoted end portions offset from the intermediate portion on that side toward the eye and slot.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my sign ature; y EDWARD A. DOWNEY. y 

